The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-24
THE LAST BUFFALO HUNT
The Buffalo Hunters of the Smithsonian
Exposed to a Montana Blizzard.
A Narrow Escape-The Return to Miles CITY.
and the End of the Expedition-Alrs
Well That Ends Well.
By William T. Hornadav. Author of 1.-TWO Years in
the Jungle Copy righted

By William T. Hornadav Author of 1.-TWO Years in
the jungle" copy rghted.
VIII.
By mercess squirting Jim and got to camp
just before dark. Russell was already in. but
the boys with the heavily loaded wagon we're
miles away sud the snow was coming faster
every minute. Cur camp was then located at
the upper water hole of Big Porcupine creek.
and while il was capitally situated for shelter, in
the bottom of the canyon. close to the southern
face of high bluff, it was desperately hard to
find. even clear night. Whether Boyd and
Brown could find it a. all that stormy night
was very grave question; but
they both possessed a wonderful faculty
for remembering landmarks, and in spite of our
fears we hoped for the best. OF course they
would abandon the wagon and ride the horses.
AS soon as we had finished ripper lit our bulls
eye lantern took my rife to signal with. and
started for the top of the divide to set beacon
at the head of the ravine which led down to
tent AS soon l reached the high ground
where the wind had fair sweep my lantern
blew out, but. having plenty of matches. went
on to the pillar of rocks we had built up as
landm ark.
How the wind did blow, and how cold it was!
AS long as kept my big fur gloves on did not
mind it, but to light the lantern again had to
take them off, And such time as / had. l
could shelter the lantern until the wick was
blazing, but before 1 could shut the door the
wind would blow it out every time. Finally,
when succeeded at last. the wind blew into the
lantern from the bottom, and out 1t
went again. I thought my hands would
freeze in spite of me, and at last
almost gave up in despair. Finally, after
struggle of half an hour, and the expenditure
of all my matches except two, got my beacon
fixed, banked up around it with dirt aud stones,
and although the fame flickered wildly, it did
not go OUT Then started back to camp. half
a mile below. lost the trail Immediately. but
knowing the direction we'll / steered through
the darkness straight for where knew camp
was. Presently. as went laundering over the
rough ground in the darkness the ground in
front of me began to look grey instead of white,
and said to myself, Hello! here's sunken
place to be crossed"
l went ahead cautiously, and at the next step
saw. almost at my feet, dim circle of light
Good heavens! 1t was the tent. and l was
the very edge of the perpendicular bluff that
rose behind it. Had not seen that dim light
it was only one feeble candle-and realized in
time what 1t was, two steps more would have
sent me flying down that forty foot wall, almost
upon the tent. What if that candle had gone
out q moment before that
About o'clock the boys got in. They had
abandoned the wagon and its precious load about
twelve miles back, in the bad grounds, but not
until they had sailed the skin of the big bull,
and spread it out upon the ground They got
lost on the divide but the beacon-light presently
brought them in. to the great relief of US all
The storm continued all night, all the next
day. and the greater part of the day following.
! The snow did not fall very heavily. after all,
| but the way it was blown along made it seem
| far heavier than it was Fortunately we had
| fair supply of frewood and while the storm
| ragged we rallied round the iron funnel. with a
door in side, which goes by the name of
| "Sibley stove" Our ten head of horses never
left the bottom of the canyon, but fingered
around camp from feeding time in the morn
| ing until feeding time at night Having
| plenty of bedding. good, warm Sibley tent, we'll
| banked up, plenty of buffalo meat, and, above
| ALL twenty buffalo, what cared we for bowling
| winds and driving snow. or mercury that stood
| at ten degrees below 1t would have taken
about seven feet of snow and fifty degrees be-
low zero to have chilled our enthusiasm inst
| then. The harder it stormed the heartier we
congratulated ourselves-the "SIBO' outfit
| upon smartness in finding thirty head of
buffalo under SUCH circumstances. killing
twenty-five of them. and doing it before winter
| burst upon US. We've given you good luck.
and let you get your twenty head of buffalo. "
said the Fates "but now your game is ND. and
from this on you will catch it." went out re-
| solved to stay all winter in the field, If neces-
| sary and shudder think of the calamities
| that would have befalen us had we been out in
the terrible winter that followed so closely upon
our heels. Every one of our horses would have
| starved In spite of US.
ious to get of that fearful country before get
| ting caught il a regular fix, and the programme
was that Private c. S. West should go to Fort
| Keogh as soon as possible, with request for
| transportation. While the storm had the floor
wrote my official dispatches and letters to the
outside world-we had been FIVE weeks without
| any maitland West made preparations for his
| Journey. On the third day, Nov 3d. the worst
| IN ho nd dpc1a rad fi-
ness to start. 1t was little risky, but as he
was to make only ten miles, and stop for the
| night at a camp of cowboys on Sand Creek, 1t
was thought safe to let him go. He dressed him
self warmly, took my revolver, in order not to be
hampered with rifle, and set out.
The next day was clear and fne," according
to our log book. and remarked to the boys that
| l was thankful West ad such fine day for his
ride from Harry's camp to the LU-bar ranch.
| The distance about twenty five miles.
through bad lands all the way, and it was the
only portion of the journey concerning which
felt anxious on Vests account. But the bright
sunshine dispelled our fears. The snow the
ground was only six inches deep on the levels
and although the coulies were all filled level tt
the top our courier was an old hand in Mon
tana, and would oe careful to avoid them.
The 25th it was stormng again. worse than
ever. But by that time we were tired of the
tent. and almost out of frewood. besides
Leaving the rest of the boys to wrestle with the
problem of getting some wood up the canon to
our camp, took my horse and set Off to see IT
could not find some buffalo shelterng from the
storm in some deep ravnes that lay to the east
l thought that by riding due east with the
storm and returning due west against
it, would not get lost When / got out o
the shelter of the canon and up on the hiel
ground, found l had bitten off more than
could chew-if the reader will permit me to Dor
row an expression from the ancients The win,
was blowing small hurricane. sixty miles al
hour it seemed like, and driving straight with
a storm of tiny ice pellets. 1t could not b
called snow, for it was ice. and as fine as sand
1t swept over the ground like dust, and the SIX
was so dark that nothing smaller than butt
was visible thirty yards away. l went abou
| half mile, and by that time the danger an
utter useiessness of going further became so az
parent that, after stopping little while in tn
shelter of butte, started back. And the
we caughtit 1t was like riding against san
blast. The pellets were blown with stingin
force into our eyes, and made the bail
smart like fire. The cold wind searched out on
ears under their thick flaps of fur and for tim
it seemed determined to freeze them both. Th
trail my horse had made through the snow wa
totally obliterated, and the strength of the fur
GUS blast made him labor hard to travel agains
it even at a walk.
On account of the wind. the night which 70
lowed was fearfuly cold The mercur
sank to sixteen degrees below zero before "
\ went to bed. which discouraged US that "
stopped taking observations, and devoted a
our energies to hugging the stove and crowdin